Uplift presses on despite setbacks

Despite the tragic death of his eldest sister, Judy Palmer, dancehall artiste Uplift is determined to remain focused on his career.

"I was preparing to visit Jamaica in September to promote my new single Fantasy when I got the news that my sister fell ill at work. She died at the hospital two days later. I was shell-shocked to say the least because, as far as I knew, my sister was in excellent health, and now she is gone. This is a significant loss for me and my entire family. Judy was a very loving and kind soul; everyone who knew her loved her," he said.

"She was my rock; I could always count on her for good advice and guidance. It's going to take some time for me to get over losing her, but I must keep focused and keep going with my career. That's what she would have wanted me to do. So, right now, I'm moving full speed ahead with my career," he added.

Uplift also had a near-death experience on the day of his sister's funeral when the car he was driving overturned along the Santa Cruz to Pepper road in St Elizabeth on October 5.

"Life is full of surprises; anything can happen. I never thought that, on the day of my sister's funeral, I would end up in an accident. It was a very scary and stressful experience. Anyway, I am thankful that I and the other persons in the car escaped unscathed and were able to get a drive and make it to the funeral," he said.

The St Elizabeth-born deejay who lives in Vancouver, Canada, is currently promoting Fantasy which features Nigerian Afrobeat artiste Pupa Tee.

"I'm getting a lot of positive feedback about my new single, it's doing well in various territories, including Jamaica, Nigeria and Canada. We filmed the video earlier this year when I visited Nigeria for a series of promotional events alongside Pupa Tee," said Uplift.